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Thanks to everyone who entered to win A Very Modest Cottage. Stay tuned for my next book giveaway next month. Without further ado, the winner is…

Margo!

Yay! A big round of applause, please. I’ll be contacting Margo and have her book (complete with motel key chain) zipping through the post tomorrow.

Have you entered to win a copy of A Very Modest Cottage? Scoot down a few posts to read all about this beautiful and inspiring book written by Tereasa Surratt. Or, just click here. It’s a fun book! To keep things legal, I have to state that, while the book was given to me, my opinion is entirely my own. I was not paid to write a good review. That will be obvious to the lucky winner!

To enter, leave a comment in this post or the previous one. I’d love to hear everyone’s favorite summer memory, but that’s not required. The contest ends tomorrow (Thursday) at 12:00 EST. I’ll draw a winner at random and post the name of the lucky winner at the end of the day.

The cabin’s journey from Beardstown, Illinois to Elkhorn, Wisconsin, where Tereasa and her family live live in a restored sumer camp, is related. Along the way she provides lots of tips on how to haul a house across the interstate – how to deal with height restrictions and how to pump gas (personally, I hope I never have to figure that out).

Tereasa did a wonderful job restoring this little gem. It now lives by a lovely lake where it’s used as a guest house. I’m packing my bags, Tereasa! If you’ve ever considered restoring an ancient gem, read how to find the perfect doors and windows, and haggle at antique stores. A Very Modest Cottage is full of ideas, tips and a few “how-tos”. It’s just plain fun to read.a

Tereasa’s gem of a summer read is available at Amazon ($16.47). But one lucky person won’t have to buy one.

I’m giving a copy away!

(complete with key chain and matchbox). To enter, simply leave a comment under this and any related posts. I’d like to know your favorite summer memory. It could be a drink, a beach, a game, your first kiss by the beachside bonfire. If you’re not the talking type,  just say hello. The winner will be drawn at random a week from today – that’s July 8th. Entries must be received by Thursday, July 8th at 12:00PM, EST. Okay?

Enjoy the long weekend (here in the States). And enjoy the regular weekend everywhere else!

A quick tip on antiques. If the finish is original, and the piece has some value, don’t touch it! A lot of the value comes from the original paint or varnish. Even if it’s not in perfect condition. My mother once made the mistake of removing the original paint from a 200 year-old captain’s chest. She’s still crying, poor thing.

A few weeks ago I wrote about these really cool phones collected and updated by Sweet Bella.¬† The company shut down for a few weeks last summer, so details were not forthcoming. However, I now have all the news that’s fit to print.

These phones can be used in the US. There’s an adapter plug that comes with them so they’ll work in the US. The suggested retail price is $210. They’re carried at Cursive, which has several shops in New York. However, they’re not on their website, so call for details. Their phone number is 718-237-4421.

I want the orange one. Which one do you want?

I received an email from Design Hole reader, Tara, who is wondering how to update some Victorian furniture for a client. She writes, “My client¬†likes neutral florals in a tradition pattern but I would like to update them with a more modern fabric. Are they too ornate to take a modern fabric, or maybe just a linen look in a neutral colour?

Go for Bold

There are two ways to go with Victorian furniture – historic and contemporary. If your mission is to recreate the Victorian era throughout the room, then opt for a reproduction of a Victorian era fabric. For upholstery, that would mean a solid velvet or silk stripe, like the chairs in the photos above.

I prefer to go with the contemporary option. There’s no rule that says you can’t go wild just because the chair has carving. Embrace that carving and go bold! Think about painting the wood in a bright, glossy color and covering the chair with a bold pattern. If your client is a little shy, a smaller but still contemporary look would also be great.

These fabrics are all from Clarence House. Why not paint the chair red, black or brown and cover it with one of the two velvets on top? The bolder the print, the better. The cut velvet in the lower left is more staid, but will still look fresh. The paisley print lives half in the Victorian era and half in the modern world. The colors are bright and cheerful and will give the chair a modern look.

Say no to neutral

I would stay away from a neutral, like ivory. Neutrals do nothing to show off the color of the wood or its carving. If paint isn’t an option, recondition the chair so that wood tone shines. Then choose a fabric that will make the often red-toned wood pop. Jewel tones are a great way to go. Strong colors, such as red-orange, blue-violets and emerald green would look smashing.

To tuft or not to tuft

I’m on the fence about the tufting. It’s coming back into style on more linear, contemporary sofas. I think tufting looks better with a printed fabric when it’s on a Victorian chair.

I’m hoping everyone will help me out here. Tufting or now tufting – what do you think?

An antique medicine cabinet has become the home of a wide variety of Star Wars figurines, and other toys from decades gone by.

Here’s a close-up looks at just some of the residents. I like Pebbles and Felix.

Here’s a view (without the window) of one wall in a little study. Not such a great photo, but you get the idea of how well a mix of folkart can be displayed. It looks higgeldy piggeldy, but somehow it works.

I love this rather artistic shot. The mirror reflects the art on the opposite wall. Not an inch to spare.

Should I say it again? Somehow it works. I would rearrange a bit, but once you get started, you just can’t stop. That Hot Tamale Train is passing through.

Finally, the Hollands (Annie is the big collector of the two) say “thank you” with a little star below yet another shelf of miniature collectibles.

Do you have a collection to show the world? Send your photos my way via the “contact” link. What do you think of this collection? I don’t want to think about dusting it. But it’s a lot of fun to look at.

You can find them at Vintage and Modern. The price is set at $1,450. Did someone say, “haggle?”